Developer eyes Pasco’s Trinity for housing project

TAMPA - A Palm Beach Gardens developer known for planning a massive 19,000-home community in Southwest Florida has its eyes on Pasco County’s Trinity community, although for a much smaller project.

Kitson & Partners is negotiating to buy 330 acres at State Road 54 and Little Road from its current owners, the Mitchell family, including Prudential Tropical Realty broker/owner Dewey Mitchell. Kitson & Partners hasn’t yet closed on the land, but it is already lining up its development entitlements, Kitson Chief Executive Officer Syd Kitson said.

He declined to disclose the prospective sale price. Kitson said he is still working out details of the project, including number of houses, but it will have a mix of single-family and multi-family housing and retail space. He boasted of the land’s “very strategic” location, which is close to schools, churches and a YMCA.

Kitson & Partners is probably best known for its Babcock Ranch project that sits in both Lee and Charlotte counties. That project got national attention in 2006 for its massive size, encompassing 17,800 acres and 19,500 homes. However, the recession and housing bust put the project on hold for several years, and Kitson said he now hopes to start on Babcock Ranch by the end of this year.